Accept - Accept (1979)

Accept is one of those bands very few people are ambivalent about. You usually either love them or hate them and I guess that's the way it should be. This album is their first studio effort and has been described by Wolf Hoffman (main guitar player and major song writer for the band) as a collection of songs they had been playing over the years recorded into album form. I was really surprised to hear this since - to me - the album seems really well balanced and maintains the same feel even through widely different song styles.
There are so many cool tracks on this album and the playing is just phenomenal. I first heard Breaker by Accept in 1981 but didn't really become an Accept fan for real until I heard this album and I'm a Rebel. Not taking anything away from Breaker (which is a dynamite album in it's own right) but the first album is among the finest metal albums ever recorded.

1. Lady Lou – 3:03 This song starts with a noise that sounds like an air aid siren. Very appropriate intro I think because it signals evacuation for the feint of heart. The song itself is not overly remarkable but for the initial ice breaker it maybe serves the listener well with a preview of what is to come. A cool tune.

2. Tired of Me – 3:14 With this one you get more immersed in the dark and brooding howls that we all know as Accept these days. For the initial listener it must have sounded a little menacing and it never ceases to make me smile a little with the refrain:
"Tired of me!
She's got my back to ze vall
Tired of me
Zere's nosing at all"

Etc. The accent is just light enough to remind you these are authentic Germans and the pick scrapes that accompany each line remind you this is undiluted heavy rock. Really cool song, great feel.

3. Seawinds – 4:41 This is the first song on the album that the bass player Peter Baltes sings. It is a very powerful ballad that speaks of a longing for exploration of the wide world with a profound attachment for one's home town and loved ones. I often imagine Baltes is singing about the trepidation of touring outside of his own continent and the haunting feel of this track is appropriate for the subject matter in the way it is presented.
This is one of my favorite metal ballads of all time. Accept nails it on the head and kicks it into the drink with this one.

4. Take Him in My Heart – 3:30 The angst and extreme bile of the lyric actually overpowers the absolutely menacing and thundering music. Guitar and Frank Freidrich's drumming create an atmosphere of solid metal with Udo absolutely dominating the whole of this tune. By the time the lead guitar breaks in you are either thoroughly on the edge of your seat in adrenaline charged delight or panic stricken flight. Hey, a flight or delight song!
After the lead I was expecting to not be farther impressed by this tune yet the absolute wailing of Mr. Dirkschneider in the ending verse and abrupt end are absolutely classic and a definite must hear.
Since the 80s we have heard a lot of things perhaps as musically shocking as this but that takes nothing from the initial impact this tune must have had on all who heard it for the first time. Excellent.

5. Sounds of War – 4:36 Possibly the magnum opus of all accept songs. Sounds of War is Peter Baltes other vocal offering on this album. It starts with a countdown voiced atop a wailing tremolo bar heavy guitar drone the kicks into one of the most organically cool guitar rhythms of all time. Simple yet menacingly elegant the rhythm is constantly embellished by overlaying tremolo guitar work throughout. The verses speak of oncoming war from an obviously war weary people with a curious refrain:
"I was born oh tell me why?"
That always left me guessing what they mean by this. I'm thinking it's similar to Geezer Butlers often disdain for the unfinished war that was present when we were all young. The angst is pure and the song thunderingly beautiful.

This lead absolutely cannot be missed. Could a third year guitar student play it? Probably to a fault. But the feel and originality of the ideas within that solo leave nothing to be desired. Truly a fantastic song and an excellent side ender.

6. Free Me Now – 3:02 This is Frank Freidrich at his finest. The drumming is heart attack inducing and the song kicks too much ass to describe with any mere phrases. It starts out as sheer sonic assault and never lets up throughout. The lead is classic arena thunder basic intent but short enough to never make you lose one speck of interest.

7. Glad to Be Alone – 5:14 Might be my favorite Accept song. It starts out with a lone guitar through a chorus that erupts into a frenzy before settling into the slow bluesy theme of the whole song. The lyric speaks of a guy dating a chick who drags him through various rich girl trappings he is obviously not impressed or comfortable with.
"After few days with you. I was glad to be....alone....again."
Lots of angst expressed through a master of the emotion. The fact that each verse prefaces a lead is just icing on the cake here. These leads are really inspired and the whole song is something really exceptional.

8. That's Rock 'N' Roll – 2:52 Obviously the dance tune on this record (just kidding). That's rock and roll delivers more pounding in your face music and lyric that kept me with an ear to ear smile while I listened to it through headphones at school or boring parties. I never tire of songs like this one and it is the perfect length not to be anything like repetitive or drawn out.

9. Helldriver – 2:43 If there is any element of intentional pop it must be this one. It is an ok song but suffers from a rather predictable layout. I like it but it is maybe the weakest track on the album. The lead guitar playing throws a lifeline out to this one.

10. Street Fighter – 3:30 It's weird that this tune has the same kind of 'woo ooh' that Sympathy for the Devil has because it is otherwise nothing like it either in lyric or musical content. It sings about the attraction of someone to the life of street gangs and has pretty cool lead guitar playing throughout.

In closing, I have to say I was rather surprised no one has mentioned this album with any real experience with listening to it. Do yourself a favor and at least Chick out the you tube samplings f it. I have a strong feeling if you are someone who likes hard rock, heavy metal, or even punk or alternative you are going to love this one.

Never really got around to listening to this first ACCEPT album mainly because two or three albums further along there RESTLESS AND WILD & BALLS TO THE WALL albums are possibly there best two albums although I also like the METAL HEART album as well.